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Mariners to stick with rotating radio booth in '12

Mariners to stick with rotating radio booth in '12

Grand salami time for Mariners 0:40

Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs calls Miguel Olivo's grand slam against the Jays using the descriptive phrasing of the late Dave Niehaus

By Greg Johns
/
MLB.com |

SEATTLE -- The Mariners will again use a rotating group of seven broadcasters to work alongside veteran play-by-play man Rick Rizzs on their radio network next season, according to Randy Adamack, the team's vice president of communications.

The club went to the seven-man rotation last year to replace Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus, who died Nov. 10, 2010, at the age of 75.

Adamack said the plan is to stick with that group for one more year before likely committing to one permanent replacement.

The club's three full-time announcers -- Mike Blowers, Dave Sims and Rizzs -- will all return for the 2012 season. Rizzs, in his 27th season with the Mariners, will be the primary radio voice.

Sims and Blowers both will return for their sixth seasons with the club and will handle most of the television broadcasts.

The second spot in the radio booth alongside Rizzs will then be divided between former Niehaus partners Ken Wilson, Ken Levine and Ron Fairly, as well as appearances by former Mariners players Dave Valle, David Henderson, Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner.

All seven filled a similar role last season.

"Last year, we obviously did what we did in the aftermath of Dave Niehaus' passing," Adamack said. "It was a special, unique circumstance and we thought that was the best way to move forward for the next year.

"Now as we look ahead, we want to evaluate everything we're doing without it being in the aftermath of Dave's passing. We're moving ahead and want to look at this and continue this way one more year because it gives us an opportunity to better evaluate and make longer-term decisions after 2012."

Mike Curto, the Tacoma Rainiers play-by-play man since 1999, worked several games with Rizzs last season on a substitute basis and could be used again in that role this coming year, Adamack said, though he's not part of the regular rotation.